Company charged for safety breaches after two truck crashes

WorkSafe Victoria has charged a transport company for unsafe work practices which led to two serious truck crashes in South Gippsland. Peter Stoitse Transport Pty Ltd has been charged under section 32 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act with recklessly engaging in conduct that placed others in danger of serious injury. The company allegedly directed or permitted workers to drive two milk tankers that were involved in separate crashes in February and July 2020, despite being aware that the trucks were unsafe. The company was also charged for breaching section 23 of the OHS Act by exposing people other than employees, namely road users, to health and safety risks when it failed to ensure unsafe milk tankers were not driven on public roads.

The company was also charged with breaching section 21(2)(a) of the OHS Act for failing to provide or maintain safe plant; and failing to provide or maintain safe systems of work to ensure vehicles were free of mechanical defects and driver fatigue was managed. The matter was addressed at a filing hearing at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 16 February 2022.

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